Deterrence at any Cost
by HeraldWasington
Summary: Capturing warships of the Terran Empire is no easy feat, capturing the warships of the Terran Empire's Deterrence Fleet is even harder, so what happens when their ability to strike deep into the heart of any territory is captured by someone who has been wronged by the Empire, decreed by their honour to strike the blow that will cripple the Empire. AU.
1. Intelligence File 512

**Starfleet Intelligence Report #512**

 **From: Franklin Drake**

 **To: Admiral Quinn, Head of Imperial Starfleet Operations**

It comes at a difficult time for the Empire, Operations in the other universe are in shambles, Bajor is now under assault by guerilla forces of this….Bajor for Bajorans, why we ever left the Bajorans into the Empire leaves much to be said.

It has been revealed to my notice that the following warships of the Deterrence Fleet are missing, see below.

I shall endeavour to find these warships, the risk is too great for even one of the warships to be reversed engineered by our enemies for use against the Empire, perhaps Terra herself. The Emperor has directed that we, we being Section 31.. Are to reallocate some of your forces to hunt down the perpetrators of this act bring them to "justice"

 _Franklin Drake_

* * *

 **Ship Stats  
**

* * *

 **ISS Cerberus**

 **Class: Arbiter class Deterrence Battlecruiser**

 **Crew: 500**

 **Weaponry: [Classified]**

 **Kinetic Weaponry: 26 Charybdis Tricobalt Long Range Missiles**

 **Yield: [Classified]**

 **Range: [Classified]**

 **Emergency Warp Speed: Transwarp equivalent of Warp 24**

 **Standard Cruising Speed: Transwarp equivalent of Warp 18**

* * *

 **ISS Crota,Cronos and Valkyrie**

 **Class: Hestia class Deterrence Destroyers**

 **Crew: 150 Each**

 **Weaponry: [Classified]**

 **Kinetic Weaponry: 14 Charybdis Tricobalt Long Range Missiles**

 **Yield: [Classified]**

 **Range: [Classified]**

 **Emergency Warp Speed: Transwarp equivalent of Warp 24**

 **Standard Cruising Speed: Transwarp equivalent of Warp 18**


	2. The Deterrence Fleet and the Charybdis

The Deterrence Fleet, is the Empire's answer to decades of total devastation from Warfare. Once admirals had to waste lives and time battering a planet into molten rock. Now, the Empire can simply order a strike from thousands of light years away and take care of the problem and ay hideouts in the system.

The Deterrence Fleet is made up of 3 distinct fleets. The Hades Deterrence Fleet, which takes care of the Alpha Quadrant, the Zeus Deterrence Fleet which takes of the Beta Quadrant and the Tartarus Deterrence Fleet which takes care of the alternate reality. Each of the three fleets are made up of 4 Battlegroups.

Because of how the Fleet is structured, the Fleet orders it's Dreadnoughts, Battlecruisers, Destroyers/Escorts and Frigates into specialised with 25 Squadrons containing 25 warships each while listing them in "classed" battlegroups. This totals to 2500 warships that the Empire has contained within each Deterrence Fleet.

* * *

 **The Hades Deterrence Fleet**

* * *

The Hades Deterrence Fleet has long been known as the Empire's first and last strategic offence option. Operating in concert with the Eighth, Twelfth, Fourteenth, Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Eighteenth, the Empire relies on the formidable presence of the Hades Deterrence Fleet to deter potential aggressors from attack Terran holdings.

 **Battlegroup Alpha - The Dreadnoughts**

\- I.S.S Necrosis leading

Battlegroup Alpha is home to the dreadnoughts of the Deterrence Fleet, ranging from the I.S.S Phalanx to the massive bulk of the I.S.S Necrosis.

Unlike the other battlegroups which have hundreds if not reaching just under a thousand warships each, Alpha Battlegroup is the smallest of the 4 battlegroups in the Fleet, only reaching 400 warships while the others each reach 700 each.

However, the Alpha Battlegroup is the most powerful of the 4 battlegroups in the Deterrence Fleet. Each Dreadnought is armed with 56 Charybdis class Long Range Tricobalt Missiles, fired from specialised launchers usually deployed from inside the hull of the Dreadnought.

 **Battlegroup Beta - The Battlecruisers**

\- I.S.S. Cerberus leading

Home to the battlecruiser divisions, this is considered to be the prime posting for an Imperial Ensign entering the Deterrence Fleet. Not the most powerful of the Fleet but not the lightest either, the Battlecruiser Division takes care of the fight. If you require need the long range punch of a Dreadnought but need the mobility of an escort, the Battlecruiser Division is there. Each Battlecruiser is armed with 36 Charybdis Missiles.

 **Battlegroup Charlie - The Destroyers and Escorts**

\- I.S.S Churubusco leading

The middle of the Deterrence Fleet, the escorts and destroyers are the longest ranged weapon that the Deterrence Fleet can offer. Unlike the other squadrons, these often act separately from the main group, individual ships splitting off to neutralise targets to the Empire. These are the most commonly seen members of the Deterrence Fleet. Each Escort/Destroyer is armed with 21 Charybdis Missiles

 **Battlegroup Delta - The Frigates**

\- I.S.S Thermopylae leading

The small agile Frigate was considered to be the most useless hull in the Terran Navy. Only fit to be used for Cannon Fodder, the brains of Emperor Bashir turned these once useless warships into the group worthy of the Empire.

Most commonly found in wolf packs, the frigate divisions of the Deterrence Fleet are utilised in a simply way. Hit hard...Hit fast. Frigates of the Deterrence Fleet operated in complete secrecy, only gathering together to neutralise the defences of a planet so that Imperial Warships can warp in and catch the enemies unaware. Frigates were used to blow open the Kartella Wall during Hiroshima's entrance into the Vaadwaur System.

Each frigate is armed with 12 Charybdis Missiles

* * *

 **The Charybdis Missile**

* * *

Terran ingenuity is a fiddle thing, one day it will make weapons of war that have already been created but other days...those weapons of war will be immortalised as the planet killing weapons that won the war.

The ideology of the Charybdis has long since seen use in Terran mythology, the Genesis Torpedo being the precursor to the modern Charybdis Torpedo. The nicknamed "wonder weapon" was designed by the Great General Taggio. Developed in secrecy at a Daystrom Institute Lab as the weapon that would defeat the Iconian interlopers, these weapons effectively neutralised whole battlegroups before being upgraded to their 5 million isoton yield that the Mk III Charybdis Missile contains.

Charybdis Missiles are only produced by Imperial Research and Development and are only equipped onto ships once they have undertaken an Section 31 "advisor" onto the vessel.


	3. A Mind Unravelled

**Eighth Fleet Headquarters, Starbase Arcadia, ISS Olympus Mons Docking Bay**

 **Badlands' Sector 831, Delta Quadrant**

 **Stardate 702883.65 - 14th May 3025**

* * *

Protected by thousands of warships, two battlestations and fifty surface to orbit artillery pieces, Arcadia was the most heavily guarded starbase in the Alpha Quadrant. The starbase alone had fought of dozens of invasions in the history of the Terran Empire, obliterating thousands of warships despite being only a year old.

Situated at the very heart of Arcadia the 10km long Supercarrier, Olympus Mons, sat. Aeon Fighters and Assault Drones were being replenished by Arcadia's vast stores as crewmen chatted excitedly on the observation deck. Every officer wanted to serve on the Terran Empire's new jewel. A figure stood alone watching the commotion with amusement until he heard the familiar sound of approaching footsteps.

"Admiral Washington", said Jim Orion as he turned. He had a stretching smile on his face as he awaited the newcomer. The polished black boots of Battlegroup Beta's Rear Admiral swung into view, the Terran carefully avoiding the small cleaning bots sweeping the floor as he strided over to the window.

"Rear Admiral,"

"So, they finally gave you that boat to fly, eh Wash?" Orion said as he clasped the "Victor of the Tarius Blitz" on the shoulder.

"The Olympus?" Washington asked, ignoring nickname Orion knew he disliked. " I blame the Vahkal, they've been busy, constructing that behemoth of a Super-Dreadnought and smashing Kronan almost into little pieces"

The ship in question, the ISS Olympus Mons, was of the new Gaea class Supercarriers that had finally been produced. The original had been destroyed by the Vaadwaur in a last ditch effort to prevent the Terran invasion of Vaadwaur Prime.

"They almost cut one of the newest Super-Dreadnoughts to pieces?!" Orion exclaimed in genuine surprise.

"For the lack of a better term yes."

The black metal hull of the Olympus seemed to give off sparks as a worker bee began cutting off an armour plate for replacement, another worker bee flying over and dragging the plate away to be recycled.

"Hm, so what's this mission they're giving us?"

"That discussion might be best held in a different location Jim"

As both Terrans departed the waiting room, the holographic screens nearby flickering a dark red before switching back to the light blue of LCARS.

* * *

"So this mission," Orion began.

As the door to the Olympus' ready room swooshed open, the MACO Detachment already inside the room filled out, having ensured the safe return of the Fleet Admiral as they waited outside.

"Let me sweep for bugs first Jim"

A quick sweep turned up negative as both Admirals sat in the chair, the holographic projectors in the walls flickering online, displaying a single battle cruiser and three of the new Hestia class mk IV destroyers.

"Do you know what these are?"

"H.D.S…..Hades Deterrence Fleet, Deterrence fleet units?"

"You are correct"

Jim squinted at the holographic projections, running a hand through his graying beard, "What about them?"

"Around 1500 hours yesterday, these warships departed Utopia Planetia to arrive here at 0800 using Quantum Slipstream Drives in combination with Transwarp Drives. They never arrived."

"So, doesn't Section 31 normally do S&R?"

"Yes, they should be, but I have a personal stake in the matter, so while Section 31 goes gallivanting around the core systems and finding the little clues, we'll be taking the exact same trip that the Cerberus and her escorts took"

"Wasn't the Cerberus your first command, I thought it was a routine round trip to resupply on the Charybdis Missiles."

"Yes and Yes"

"...Oh I see, so we're requisitioning the Olympus and BG Beta i'm assuming?"

"The Lukari have offered to help, despite the information not even being public, several Inquisitors and a battlegroup are investigating the Lukari….however…" holding up a hand to forestall questioning, the Fleet Admiral continued, "with the rising tensions in the Empire as the Eighth prepares to move into the alternate reality, we'll also being stopping over at Utopia Planetia not just to follow their trail but to pick up some extra ships that the Eighth will need for our stint in the other reality."

"What sort of ships?" the Rear Admiral leaned forward, half covering the holographic projection on the table.

"The usual really, half a dozen Super-Dreadnoughts, a dozen of the new Archon Mk IV's, few dozen of some support ships and three or so Replenishment ships, of which, one will be carrying some extra Charybdis Missiles in order for the Cerberus' capturer to "try" to capture us." The PADD detailing the list of ships that Eighth was passed over the desk as the Fleet Admiral spoke, the Rear Admiral taking a quick flick through the pages.

"Huh, I remember the Archon I once flew, half the size of Kitty Hawk though, but it was a decent boat, I think it's still serving Fifth Fleet somewhere in the lower regions of the Beta Quadrant."

The Fleet Admiral looked up from the PADD he was typing on, "I suggest you head back to your ship, we'll be leaving in a few hours and Utopia's on a busy schedule."

"Aye sir," Orion nodded.

* * *

 **Kitty Hawk**

The swarm of destroyers and frigates circled around the core of Battlegroup Beta, the imposing bulk of the Vengeance class Superdreadnought, Kitty Hawk, situated in the midst of the swarm. The cruisers and battlecruisers forming a half-sphere in front of the Super-Dreadnought and her smaller Odyssey and CBC counterparts.

"Kitty Hawk to Olympus, we are approaching your port side and awaiting instructions." Orion could sense the growing tension on his bridge, but knew that he commanded the best the Empire had to offer.

"Olympus is responding sir, she's preparing to activate the transwarp gate"

As the battlegroup slowly came out from the Badlands, the Kitty Hawk found the Olympus sitting behind her own escort, the Gaea class, almost a super enlarged version of the 4.5 km long superdreadnought.

"Now that is impressive"

"Did someone just quote Chekov?"

The petty officer who quoted Chekov looked suitably abashed as the Transwarp tunnel spiralled into existence, the leading elements of Olympus' escort beginning to flash into Transwarp velocities.

"Lieutenant cut it, Helm, enter the gate, tell Olympus we'll clear the area for her arrival"

"Olympus responds, she'll go in last"

"Understood, take us in"

"You just quoted Picard sir!"

"Stow it Lieutenant," Orion had to suppress a smile. A little light banter always kept his crew in high spirits, but now he needed them focused.

* * *

 **Olympus Mons Flag Bridge**

"We'll be entering the Sol System soon, try to avoid ramming one of Second Fleet's warships Captain Sarama"

One of the Olympus' escort captains looked suitably unamused as the rest of battlegroup began laughing aloud, Sarama having accidentally rammed a Terran warship from the Sixth Fleet when helping them in the Lukari system to fend off a Vahkal invasion fleet.

"Dropping out of transwarp in 3…..2…...1...Now"

"Crash deaccelerating…..radiation spike...structural integrity slightly decreased, 0.3 jump margin difference away from the intended location Sir"

"Good job Helm, Ops, contact the ISS Archon, inform them I'll be docking with them, then contact Utopia Planetia C&C, tell them to have a dock ready for the Archon, I dont want to risk the Olympus and her battlegroup in this sort of traffic, so reposition at the lagrange point nearby.

"Aye sir, Archon is docking in Flight Deck One sir"

"Oh and Admiral Jim, you have command of the Fleet until I get back"

"Aye sir"

As planned, the ISS Archon slipped into a medium-sized drydock in the midst of the bustling shipyard, a flight of Aeon class Fighters deploying directly for the main starbase, diving under and over some of the Empire's newest escorts as they departed the docks for their assignments out near the fringes of the Empire.

"Welcome to Utopia Planetia sir, you'll need to sign this before proceeding onto the actual starbase itself sir."

"Vulcans…." mumbed the Fleet Admiral as he scribbled onto the PADD before handing it back

The enhanced hearing of the Vulcan barely picked it up as the tanned hands picked up the PADD. "Thank you for your time Fleet Admiral, enjoy your stay". The doors behind the Vulcan opening up for the Fleet Admiral as he strided out into the company of a small platoon of MACOs, stepping onto the Transporter Pad as they whirled out of existence.

Popping out of the transporter pad at Utopia Planetia C&C, the Fleet Admiral strode over to the awaiting ready room, Grand Admiral Smith twirling his chair around as the Fleet Admiral stepped in.

"Grand Admiral"

"Fleet Admiral, come in"

"Thank you Grand Admiral, are the requested forces ready?"

"I hope you find their crew satisfactory, even a few months after the Vahkal invasion, the Empire still needs more crewmembers"

"Actually I was thinking of doing something similar to the Vahkal's Eternal Fleet, controlling them from the flagship and reducing the necessary supplied for the fleet"

"As I recall you made this point at the last Captain's Dinner Fleet Admiral, I'm pretty sure we only allowed you to connect 4 Ouroboros to the Olympus incase it got out of hand."

"I did one better sir, connecting not just 4 Ouroboros but a whole Archon to the grid. Combat efficiency from the warships has increased by 50%. While they aren't capable of the sort of coordination like the Eternal Fleet, they still outstrip the average Terran warship in one to one combat."

"Very well, have the rest of your Archons and Ouroboros connected onto the grid as an emergency backup incase the crew is incapacitated"

"Aye sir"

"Enjoy your stay Fleet Admiral"

"Aye sir"

* * *

 **Sol System Space - Battlegroup Olympus**

"All vessels, Battlegroup Olympus will activate the transwarp conduit at Jupiter before dropping out nearby Starbase 24. Then we shall take the other conduit in system to Terok Nor before returning to Starbase Arcadia. While we are enroute, the Olympus will attempt to simulate engine failure, acting as bait for the capturers of the Cerberus and her escort. No doubt they will attempt to capture the Olympus. Taking the latest super-warship of the Empire will reduce morale and allow the enemy access to the largest fighter carrying warship in the Empire...

Godspeed"

" _Understood Fleet Admiral"_

Half the captains arrayed on the screen were immediately dropped from the link, leaving Battlegroup Beta's commanders

"Rear Admiral, Captains, your job will be to immediately to transwarp to Terok Nor in order to pick up several Apollo and Artemis Destroyers. You will remain on call incase we need more reinforcements then the rest of Battlegroup Olympus can provide."

" _Aye sir"_

The transwarp gate flickered online as Battlegroup Beta flung themselves into the tunnel, whisper thin trails their remnants as the Gate repositioned to lock onto the other paired gate at Starbase 24.

* * *

 **Battlegroup Olympus - Transiting between Starbase 24 and Terok Nor**

As planned, Battlegroup Olympus reached Starbase 24 without any incidents, passive sensor grids showing no activity around the battlegroup even as they entered the second Transwarp tunnel.

"Reading a slight imbalance in the second nacelle Fleet Admiral"

"Take us out of warp with the rest of the Battlegroup while we 'fix' this imbalance"

As the hours passed and the nacelle was fixed, the rest of the battlegroup began to grow impatient.

" _Fleet Admiral, we should just abandon this endeavour, we've been wasting more than ten hours waiting for this terrorist to turn up sir"_

"You will stay here or I will have you executed. Flight Ops, prepare to launch against the Claudius!"

"Aye sir"

"Fleet Admiral picking up a new warp signature….an Iaidon Dreadnought….I though we had destroyed all of the Iaidons when Admiral Leeta obliterated the Iconians at the Battle of the Herald Sphere?"

"So did I, RED ALERT, shields up!"

The light craft surrounding the Iaidon Dreadnought began splitting up, the still advanced weaponry of the Baltims and Mir's beginning to destroy the small battlegroup's escorts. Breaking from transit formation, the destroyers and frigates of Battlegroup Olympus split, warping behind the Iaidon as they opened fire on it's engine blocks, the superior maneuverability of the Terran designs being showcased, the fire from the Dreadnought almost ineffectual against the lighter warships.

With the aft half of the Iaidon's weaponry trying to hit the smaller and more agile Destroyers and Frigates, the front half completely untilized until now, opened fire at the core of Battlegroup Olympus, spearing through whole Superdreadnoughts with those two massive Wave Motion Cannons as an indescernible panel opened up in the middle of the Iaidon, the formidable Reaper weapon finally being deployed.

" _Torpedo barrage from Iaidon!"_

"Redirect Drone screen to intercept!"

"All capitals are to initate saucer sep now except Olympus!"

" _Aye sir"_

"Ops, call for reinforcements now!"

"Trying to sir, the Iaidon's generating an interference field!"

" _Hercules is hit!, she's blowing, ALL HANDS ABANDON SHIP!"_

"Oh sh…"

The Hercules blew in a violent displacement of slipstream energies, the command battlecruiser blowing, taking a few of the Aeon Fighters with her, the nearby Baltims completely unarmed as they reoriented on Hercules' escort, beam banks speaking as hull plates were shattered.

"Deploy the connected warships now!"

"Deploying the Archons and Ouroboros now…."

"Order them to target the Wave Motion emitters, if they don't we're going to lose Olympus!"

With Battlegroup Olympus in havoc with the arrival of the Finalizer, the remnants of the Vahkal Empire warped in, beginning to obliterate the destroyers and escorts buzzing around Finalizer, dozens of Aeons dying as the Vahkal version of the Terran's Flak Destroyers swatting them out of the air.

"Sir, this Iaidion, she's the one that almost blew up Kronan!"

"WHAT!"

"IFF Signatures match!"

"Gunners, intensify firepower!"

With Olympus' firepower almost doubling at the cost of the capacitors burning out rapidly, vast swathes of Vahkal Fighter Craft were instantly destroyed, Phalanx torpedo turrets sending lethal streams of micro Quantum Torpedoes into their lightly shielded hulls.

The rash of angry red contacts on the Ops Console began to die down as the bulk of the Vahkal fighters either ran out of torpedoes or were hit by Phalanx launchers, the constant barrage beginning to turn the tide against the light craft.

"Deploying EW drones, ECM suite now at maximum power!"

"Have a few of the EW drones go on a ramming attack, aim…" highlighting the point directly under the Iaidon's deflector in red, the Fleet Admiral continued to speak. "Directly there and launch drones and torpedoes!"

"Aye Sir!"

* * *

 **The Finalizer - Bridge**

"Sir, the Terran Battlegroup appears to have fully raised their ECM. We are unable to differentiate between the actual warships and their EW drone counterparts"

"Find the highest concentration of comm signals and suppress the area"

"By your command"

* * *

 **ISS Olympus Mons Bridge**

"Battlegroup reports fully charged Maulers!"

"Target those Wave Cannon Emitters and the Iaidon's Deflector, FIRE!" Almost as soon as the sentence was spat out, hundreds of Mauler Beams crisscrossed across the battlezone, spearing into the Wave Cannons, blowing them away from the play while the Deflector and the almost fully charged Reaper device exploded, forcing the withdrawal of the Finalizer from the general melee.

* * *

Titanic energies from both sides played out across space, Heavy Quantums and the less lethal sprays of Phalanx Torpedoes levelling whole ranks of starships from the play, Aeons and Assualt Drones spitting Antiproton fire across the battlefield at an injured Vahkal Dreadnought, eating away at the hide of the leviathan and puncturing the torpedo magazine, igniting the ship.

More Vakhal Dreadnoughts began sending waves of torpedoes and directed energy weapons onto their Imperial counterparts, barely in range of the advanced sensor grids of the Vahkal. Vahkal destroyers and frigates ranged in between the capital ships, attempting to down the Imperial's shield grids as their escorts began returning fire with such intensity that most broke off in order to find weaker targets.

* * *

 **ISS Olympus Mons - Flag Bridge**

"Section Beta Twelve is weakening, deploy an Archon with a Mobius escort to compensate" Wasington stated, even Olympus shuddered from a fresh barrage of enemy torpedoes, moving forward in order for the Vahkal to engage in close combat where the Imperial's capitals' had the edge in firepower.

The concave wall of Imperial armour split slightly as their fire support squadrons from the Nebulas and Steamrunners launched another volley of Quantum Torpedoes, the rest of the battle line's torpedo tubes and capacitors steadily wearing away at their enemies while their once pristine carbon black armoured hulls were smashed with exotic particles.

"Heavy Quantum Torpedoes loaded, A'L3SR ready!"

"Fire!"

A trio of Heavy Quantum Torpedoes slammed into their intended targets, micro singularites stripping hull plates away from their targets, the A-L3SR spearing into a Vahkal Dreadnought before chaining it's energy into the surrounding escorts, removing it from the play.

"Flak Launchers reloaded, opening fire at Vahkal Squadron attempting attack run!"

Thousands of small energy bursts appeared on the minimap, racing towards the oncoming Vahkal Squadrons attempting to take advantage of Olympus' large bulk. The Vahkal, seeing the bursts fly upwards towards them, took evasive maneuvers, attempting to avoid the bursts as even more began filling the space between the Olympus and the fighters.

"Vahkal Dreadnought on our starboard side!"

Both warships began bombarding each other with their weapons, rapidly overheating them as their conformal shield grids flared up against the weight of firepower, the Broadside emitters of the Olympus already recharging and opening fire, adding their rapid firing weapons into the fight. Phalanx torpedoes, almost firing at point blank switched from stitching far away fighter squadrons to bombarding the shield grids with their micro torpedoes, constantly lighting up the shields as more and more torpedoes drained the shielding of the Dreadnought.

"CIC reports 36% of the Battlegroup is now disabled or killed, while 41% of the Vahkal group has been eliminated. The Vahkal's light artillery forces appear to have set up, their warming up energy emitters now!"

"All forces, emergency power to forward shield grids now!"

The Vahkal version of the Soulwolf began opening fire, smashing their Imperial oppressors with subspace travelling plasma weapons, the plasma being fired into subspace before reappearing right in front of their intended targets, burning some of the lighter units of the Terran Battle Group into the ground.

Even as their destroyers began eliminating the Terrans rapidly, their Imperial counterparts, the Soulwolf began returning fire, covering the space with deadly arrays of Mauler Beams and Subspace accelerated weapon fire, more likely to hit their own capital ships rather then their intended targets.

Almost like a signal, Battlegroup Beta warped in, their Apollo and Artemis class Stealth Torpedo Destroyers launching their torpedoes towards the heavily dampened aft shield grids of the Vahkal formation as the Finalizer portalled out, it's lighter craft evacuating with it, the nearby Vahkal ships crumpling as the portal collapsed their structural integrity grids.

While the Artemis and Apollo classes bombarded the area with their torpedoes, the remainder of Beta, freshly armed and armoured flung themselves into the fray, obliterating Vahkal Battleships and their escorts from the plot.

The battered shield grids of the Olympus, still dueling with the Vahkal Dreadnought finally gave way, it's armoured hull, having a fair amount of scratches now receiving the brutal punishment of hundreds of directed energy weapons and torpedoes even as it return fire.

* * *

 **ISS Olympus Mons - Bridge**

"Shield Grids down!"

"Intensify firepower, redirect Aeon Squadrons to the Dreadnought's ammunition stores, get a chain reaction going."

" _Battlegroup Beta reporting in Sir"_

"Excellent, have the Kitty Hawk begin targeting the enemy dreadnoughts, fire for effect!"

" _Aye Sir"_

Fire rained down on the Olympus Battlegroup's wall, concentrating on the section that held the Olympus, incandescent bolts of energy vomiting into the void. The ablative armour of the Olympus wilting under the level of fire. The Odyssey class ISS Kraken was bracketed by twenty cruisers, their fire covering the weakened shields and armour. Her internal ammo stores and slipstream cores breaching, adding to the devastation of the Kraken, unleashing turbulent energy as the remaining pieces of broken hull flung outwards.

ISS Conqueror, the only Vengeance class in the Olympus battlegroup was also under concentrated fire, as the remaining Vahkal slashed into her armoured hull. As the Vengeance class was wreathed in fire, her captain gave the order to evacuate, positioning the hull of the superdreadnought in front of Olympus, absorbing the fire as her slipstream cores blew.

Olympus' grievously wounded hull, glowing white hot still opened fire, her operable Phalanx Turrets still unleashing hell against the remaining Vahkal Dreadnoughts, Mauler Beams and Heavy Quantum Torpedoes unleashing their exotic particles across the space.

And just as soon as the Imperial's next wave of fire lanced outwards, the Vahkal warships stopped firing, even as Antiproton fire and Quantum torpedoes slammed into the Vahkal battle line.

* * *

 **ISS Kitty Hawk**

All contact with Olympus had been lost, which was perfectly understable with the amount of damage the Kitty Hawk's sensors had been picking up. And since the communication arrays of the Olympus had just been destroyed, command had devolved to the Rear Admiral.

CIC had confirmed most of the remaining Vahkal forces were from the recent invasion of Arcadia. Gleefully, most of Battlegroup Beta's captains, having been out of the general melee ensuring that their stealth destroyers had been protected now returned their blood rage twofold, smashing their warships. With the Vahkal trapped between two battlegroups, they were now well and truly trapped, they couldn't run and they couldn't hide. All they could do was die, and Beta's captains took satisfaction in it, ordering overkill against many of the Vahkal warships, the enemy would be burned from the stars, the only possible response for attacking the Empire and her fleet.

"Admiral!, the enemy commander is requesting parley to offer terms for their surrender!"

Even as the fire from the Vakhal stopped, the smaller Imperial battleline continued to fire, Antiproton arrays and Heavy Quantums smashing hull plates into non-existence.

"Open a channel"

The Vahkal Commander, opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the Rear Admiral's raised palm. "You will not move an inch from your current positions, you power down all weapons and shields and surrender your ships and technology intact and with no resistance to boarding parties or I will continue to ground your ships into atoms."

The Vahkal on the other hand simply ground it's teeth and nodded.

"Orders to the fleet, stand down, hold position and prepare to fire again if a single Vahkal warship moves." A cheer from the amassed battlegroups went up, the Rear Admiral turned to the screen. "The fleet has suspended their fire, shut down your shields, engines and weapons systems and prepare to be boarded."

* * *

 **Starbase Arcadia - Rear Admiral's Office**

Located next door to the Base Commandant's Office, both Admiral's sat down on the chairs provided as they planned their next move.

"Intelligence operatives have managed to comb through the Vahkal Database, there's a lot of information, hidden bases, arms depots, emergency supply zones, the works. Unfortunately…..this Iaidon Dreadnought they have isn't actually controlled by the Vahkal but by their benefactor." the Fleet Admiral spoke, sipping slowly at the Saurian Brandy on the table.

"The Finalizer….it's been passed down through generations...You know Emperor Bashir the First once considered obtaining it just to have it as a status symbol for the Empire?"

"I did" still sipping, the Fleet Admiral flicked the PADD's current page over. "That's what scares me though….If the Vahkal Emperor was indoctrinated, how come they never realised that it came from their so called Benefactor?"

"I dont know"

"In the meantime, Emperor Bashir has deployed another battlegroups worth of ships to rendevous with us here. Mainly Archon class Battlecruisers to replenish our heavier forces, We lost a lot of good men and women today."

"Peace to the Fallen"

"Peace to the Fallen"

As both Admirals left the office, the PADD flickered red as files were seemingly downloaded and deleted at random, most were Terran after-battle reports while a single file pertaining to the Ganalda system slowly byte to byte erased itself from the PADD.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Sorry for the delay guys, as you can probably see, I've joined up with a friend to write this chapter. As such, we'll probably end up making numerous tiny adjustments for the next few chapters. Enjoy the ride!


End file.
